How do you cut locs after 14 years of growth? Like Nike, Just Do It! Why did I do it? It was time!

Now I must admit that Locs for me was more than just a hair style. I actually started growing my hair in large part due to reoccurring dreams. My hair quickly became a way of life. When to wash my hair, swimming, whether or not people would be smoking in a place I planned on going where decisions I had to make, that weren’t a part of my life years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my locs, but it had become a burden. Cutting my hair actually felt as if I had freed myself from a self-imposed prison, and the feeling was, and still is, great!

Now for those of you who don’t know, the meaning behind dreadlocs is tied to biblical times. Many are of aware of Rastafari and that was our introduction to dreads. Many of us don’t know that locks are derived from the Nazirite Vow or Oath. In the Hebrew Bible, Nazirite Refers to one who voluntarily took a vow in the spirit of abstaining intoxicating substances such as wine, and allowing ones hair to grow for a period of time. (click here for more)

Lets make it clear, I AM NOT A RASTA, but I was educated and respectful of the practice. If you’d like to learn more about Dreads and the Rasta, please click here.

Well the hair is gone, but I’m still here, and “aint goin nowhere!” Take it easy!

The art of barbering, or any craft of significance for that matter, generally coincides with one’s love for it. For the BEST BARBERS this may be referred to as BARBER LOVE. Love is an often used word but misdiagnosed condition. In this case love is not so much of an emotion but a state of mind.

The emotional love that you felt when your heart fluttered, your eyes got wide, and all you wanted to do was be with that “special someone”, can also be associated with a lack of control. That’s kid love, puppy love. Although this love is fun and exciting, more times than not, it cannot sustain itself alone, and soon will pass.

Being an outstanding TonsorialProfessional (Barber!), involves exhibiting a mature, grown up type of love. This is more similar to the love of a parent, or a spouse. This is the love that wakes you in the morning to cart your children to football, soccer or baseball practice. The love that keeps you up at night holding a sick child that will more than likely make you sick as well. The love that encourages you to sacrifice and save your dollars to pay for that cruise so you and your wife can experience that much deserved getaway.

For this love, you know and expect that you will have to put in work! If you feel no empathy for any of the above statements, maybe you don’t know what real love is…but I drift.

Of course I’m not inferring that emotions aren’t involved with this mature love, but that there is a responsibility attached to it. This feeling of responsibility motivates you to be outstanding…even when you don’t feel like it!

The grown up love, is the love that you want your Barber to have. It’s why we spend our money on the best tools, and pay to keep them regularly maintained. Its why we’re always on the look out for new cutting edge techniques, products, and equipment. It’s why we attend hair shows, and keep up with the current trends and styles through social media. It’s why we can greet you with a smile, even though there is soreness in our feet, or pain in our back. It’s also why each one of us wants to be a better Barber, than the next Barber. The Best Barbers feel that they are “TheBest Barber!”

Wanting to be the best, healthy competition amongst ourselves, it keeps us sharp…and keeps you looking good! This goes to the heart of our Pride.

When you go out into the world with a hair cut from me, you represent and advertise my work, a walking billboard of sorts. Not too many individuals have jobs that can say that. But then again, the bestbarber doesn’t have a job, he or she, is a business!

People who cut hair for a living, but don’t go through these thought processes, well, those are more than likely just hair cutters, not Barbers. They lack the mind set…they don’t have the love!

So brothers and sisters, the next time you’re ready to get your head right, don’t just “get a cut”, come get you some REAL BARBER LOVE!!!

The V-103 Barber and Beauty Patrol Atlanta, visited Exodus Barber Shop to do a Live Remote Broadcast. Hosted by the beautiful and talented Shanae Hall, the ATL was given a taste of Exodus. Here’s the video curtesy of Ray Voltz/ Humble Voltz Productions. Ohh by the way, that’s Dan Brown the Barber with the back-round flows, a snippet from the Barberlife Mix CD, Check it out!

EXODUS BARBER SHOP is Atlanta’s source for XOTICS by CURTIS SMITH, the all natural, hair, skin, and barber products. The line features, SWEET JAMILA, the BEST

HAIR PRODUCT for WAVES, as well as curly and straight hair styles. Sharing the headlines is SHAVE THERAPY the most amazing all natural SHAVING-CREAM that serves as a pre, during and after shave product.

The shop’s owner, Dan Brown is the Atlanta metro area’s major distibutor for the product line.

As a Barber with an extensive clientele, I value their business, and especially their trust. For this reason, I only represent products I believe in. In the case of Xotics I exhibit that belief by using them in conjunction with my services.

I always tell my customers that to have the hair you want, you must take care of your scalp. Many traditional hair products contain harmful ingredients, most prominently petroleum, which can be very harmful to the hair follicle and consequently hair growth and quality. XOTICS products are made of all natural ingredients, which take care of the skin, scalp as well as the hair. For more information on the proper treatment of skin and scalp, feel free to read THIS ARTICLE.

So find your way to EXODUS BARBER SHOP for the best haircuts in the Atlanta area, and why you’re here pick up some of the best products on the market. We give discounts to customers purchasing services on Xotics products. For more information on purchasing XOTICS call Dan Brown at 770-364-5778, and visit XOTICSPRODUCTS.COM

Recently Exodus Barber Shop was recognized in a CBS Atlanta article featuring the Best Places for Razor Shaves in the Atlanta area. We take great pride in our Razor Shaves and Sharp Hair Lines, and was therefore very appreciative to Le’Quisha Gray for writing the article.

“Back in the day” when I was a young Barber in Buffalo, NY, a customer sat in my chair and asked for a Razor Shave. At the time I’d never performed a razor shave so I told hi no. The barber next to me promptly exclaimed that he did, and needless to say, I quickly lost that client. I never answered that question with “no” again. Fortunately for my people, that was almost 20 years ago, and I’ve learned a lot since then.

Barbering is an art, and we take pride in all aspects of it. We aspire to to have our clients feel like celebrities. Several of our tonsorial artists have actually been barbers for Celebrities and choose to make their home at Exodus Barber Shop. At Exodus Barber Shop, Razor Sharp Hairlines and clean shaves are the norm, and have been since 1998!

To read the complete article on the CBS Atlanta website you can click on the link above. The section on Exodus Barber Shop is right here:

“Exodus Barber Shop in located in the big, yet small city of Stone Mountain, GA, and makes you feel at home as soon as you walk in. This barber shop is owned and operated by Dan Brown, who is very active in the community and supports the movement of the people and other barbers. While this barber shop has a long list of services it provides, the straight razor shave is one of the services the shop takes a load of pride in. Many of the barbers feel that the straight razor shave is an authentic take on a haircut. Get to Exodus Barber Shop to experience what some of the best barbers in Atlanta have to offer.”

For as long as I’ve been getting haircuts I’ve actually never really realized how much time barbers spend on their feet day in and day out. Due to great demand of their skills true Master Barbers stand for hours at a time each day before getting that opportunity where they can sit down, eat

Chrisbaileyis

a decent meal and literally take a load off.

Spending most of their day on their feet, barbers increase the risk of health problems including varicose veins which can lead to poor circulation, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart problems to name a few. Now if that doesn’t get the attention of Male Barbers, the combination of multiple health issues can and will lead to erectile dysfunction which most definitely makes a very unhappy Mrs. Barber. Let me not forget to mention fallen arches, back problems, muscle aches, bunions, corns, swelling in the feet and legs, lower extremity joint pain and a host of other sleeping giants. To make matters worse for Master Barbers, the long hours tend to aid in poor in diets and no time to make it to the gym. To my beloved Barbers, these are things you need to know and.

From the time you pull up to the shop the hustle is on. The goal for the day like every other day is to cut as many as you can cut and make as much as you can make. Before you know it your shoes are covered in hair and your stomach sends that message nourishment is needed and quick. The dilemma here is you are only 2/3rds into a cut with a walk-in up next, whom you managed to squeeze in before your appointments are due to arrive. So what is there to do? Most often barbers chose to grind it out, lining their pockets and leaving their stomachs empty for at least another hour or two. This later leads you to make another poor choice. Once you get a second between cuts, you make a quick dash to the neighboring store to inhale just about anything that resembles food. Guaranteed this is not a healthy choice. Back to your station and one head after the next you cut as sensations of fatigue are shaken off in order to keep up the true hustler’s pace. This is no doubt a great money making day for you but it is just as equally bad for your health.

First and foremost diet is the most important thing that is frequently overlooked. I’m not suggesting that you go all retro and break out your old Superman lunch pail with the matching thermos but hey, whatever floats your boat at this point. All you need is a good ole PB and J sandwich some fruit and water or OJ in the break room fridge with your name on it of course to suppress that “in case of emergency break the glass” hunger. That alone can make all the difference in the world for you. In case you do not have an understanding of blood sugar and how it correlates with your brain. It’s simple as this your brain needs food to work. Once your blood sugar levels drop below a certain point you may experience headaches, become irritable, light headed and even dizzy in some cases. Hey low blood sugar levels can be the reason for that uncharacteristically jacked up haircut you gave your client earlier in the week or day. The reason you wanted to fight when your co-workers cracked a few good jokes on you, when normally you would’ve laughed it off and came back with a joke of your own. With low blood sugar brain functions are most certainly compromised and mood swings are common. Frequently running on E leads you to feel the need to eat large quantities at a setting which sends your system in to sugar overload. Years of stuffing yourself raise the risk of developing type2 diabetes which is absolutely no bueno. What you wanna do is make it sure you are avoiding that hunger of death by taking time out to eat small meals throughout the day. For example, half that good ole PB and J sandwich before you start on your next client and the other half after you finish. This way you provide sufficient fuel for your brain and body, not to mention saving yourself a few bucks in the process.

Now the diet has been addressed let’s move on to the effects of long term standing. Long term standing puts a strain on the calf muscles that aid in reducing the effects of gravity which makes it easy for veins to return blood from the feet back to the heart. The strain causes these veins to become fatigue, which allows blood to back flow causing the veins to become enlarged. Varicose veins are known to be painful, especially when standing or walking. They itch and scratching them can cause ulcers. Most common symptoms are swelling, muscle cramps and difficulty walking. The arrival of Varicose veins serve as a warning that you must start to elevate your legs, and exercise more frequently for these are simple remedies that will save you a trip from the operating table. You may not be able to elevate your legs during your busy day but what you can do is implement the use of a stool to take the load off your feet. I can see where some could perceive the barber as being lazy but in actuality the stool helps the barber to alleviate the pain from standing all day and promote circulation. Remember good circulation means increased oxygenated blood throughout your entire body, thus reducing the chance of developing, high blood pressure unless hereditary and erectile dysfunction in men. Last I checked erectile dysfunction, diabetes and hypertension was nothing to brag about. Oh yea having a gym membership is cool and all but you have to actually go to the gym and work out. Swimming, cycling, weight lifting and resistance training will help you in the long run, trust me. All this is possible if you sit down and schedule around you rather than your appointments. One hour for 2 to 3 days a week will work wonders for your health and your business.

Something else that wouldn’t hurt is for you to see a chiropractor and a masseuse. Long term standing also effects posture throwing the backs out of alignment, in turn effecting circulation. When the spine is not aligned the disk of the spine pinch nerves hindering imposes and blood flow to and from the brain and throughout the body. So any barber that has been in the game over 5 years is sure to have a misaligned spine and could seriously use a chiropractor and a real massage therapist, not the ones that give happy endings. Deep tissue massages relaxes tight muscle bundle fibers that restrict blood flow and nerve passage as well. Once muscle bundles are eliminated the muscle is allowed proper profusion (blood to that reaches the muscle) and it is allowed to function properly. In addition acupuncture is something else to consider being it is said to have countless benefits from circulation, alleviation of pain to regenerative effects and stress relief.

Along with implementing good planning and adding more healthy habits, comfort is very important as well. Hard bottom inserts placed in your shoes with a cushioned floor mat around your station helps a lot. The hard arch inserts rather than the gel do a better job with distributing weight equally across the foot than gel inserts. The cushioned floor mat reduces shock and pressure on the back. Now that you are informed, I hope you see just how proper planning can along with comfort can benefit you in the long run, which will ensure your longevity, good health and success in the barber business. Also putting yourself first is very important. That walk-in or regular has no idea how long you have been in the shop, if you are hungry or not and they really doesn’t care. They are just worried about getting their haircut and getting on their way. Just as they say in dominoes “all money ain’t good money”. Health and happiness is more valuable than monetary wealth any day. If you didn’t before, now you know. God Bless

A few years ago Alex C Campbell (internet marketing guru, founder of barberlife.com, alexccampbell.com and top notch barber at Exodus Barber Shop) told me Barbering was about to blow up. He said, like skateboarding it would become something kids wanted to do, and that there’d be Reality shows based on it. At the time I was a grizzly old Barber-game vet and shop owner who thought I’d seen it all. I pretty much took the profession that subsidized my life ( much more than my college and post graduate education had ever done) for granted. Fast-forward to 2014, “Barber Battle” starring Cedric the Entertainer, is a Reality show/ contest set to start on the CW network.

The beautiful truth is that I’m not surprised. That conversation with Alex led to us creating Barber/ Hip-Hop videos “Giddacutt” and “Barberlife” as well as the ” Barberlife Mix CD” with DJ Jamad.

I started to attend The Bronner Brothers Hair Shows, and nurtured relationships with some of the top Barber professionals in the industry. Eventually I befriended Curtis Smith ( Founder of Xotics Products, and personal Barber to Usher and Diddy), and became a proud member of the Team Xotics. I was also fortunate enough to have input at the beginning stages of what is now the premier, city to city Barber Battle: The Hairbattle Tour!

A couple of years ago I was given the opportunity to speak at The Barbers Rountable Dinner. This event is a bi-annual dinner/awards ceremony put on by Curtis Smith and Team Xotics, coinciding with the Bronner Brothers hair show in Atlanta. The Roundtable brings together some of the biggest names in the Barber Industry while facilitating an atmosphere in which all attendees are socializing, and networking on the same level.
As a speaker at this amazing venue I shared a stage with the likes of: Damien and Jermaine Johnson of the No Grease Barber School and chain of Barber Shops in Charlotte, NC; Kamal Nuru founder of the original NYC Barber Battle, and Barber World TV; and Lee Resnick founder of the social networking, and pulse if the barber industry, Barbershopconnect.com. At just such and event I was made aware of an upcoming realty series on a major network based on barber battles. Come to find out Lee had pitched the idea to the networks and now we have Barber Battle on

Alex C. Campbell Dan Brown Lee Resnick

the CW!

I find it very fitting that Cedric the Entertainer is hosting this program being that the Barbershop movies he starred in played a pivotal role in the popular ascension of the Barber Movement. These were comedies, but they captured the essence of what we call the #barberlife.

Getting involved in my profession rather than just treating it like a job, or even worse a hustle, has greatly enriched my life. Barbers, and people in general, should strive to educate and uplift, as opposed to being spectators and commenters. Only God knows what the results may be, and at least you won’t be so Damn bored all the time!

Want to get involved? Click on some of the links in this article. Take it to the next level people, it’s a lot more fun that way!

What makes a good barber? That seems to be a simple question to which one should answer, “Give a good haircut.” Unfortunately many of you have experienced otherwise. For example, what good is a guy who can cut hair if he’s never at the barber shop.

The fact is, being good at any service entails more than perfecting a particular skill. Customers value dependability. How useful is a one hour cleaner that takes three hours to dry clean the clothes you need for that night. You have somewhere to go, and now your late. It really doesn’t matter how well your suit was pressed!

The same goes for Barbers. I can’t count how many times I’ve served someone new and they complained that although they liked the way the previous barber cut hair, they could never get a hold of him. Most barbers have the advantage of being independent contractors, meaning they pay booth rent and don’t have the traditional restrictions of the common employee. Too many of them believe that this means they can come and go as they please as long as they fulfill their financial commitment to the shop owner, but fail to realize that they are ultimately answerable to their clients. I believe this entails more responsibility, takes more time and commitment.

A big part of being dependable is consistency, and is why a successful business person can’t just work whenever he or she wants. I tell barbers all the time that they need to be accessible, but within realistic terms. It may sound good to tell customers that you’ll be in at 6am and work all day, but if thats not reality, don’t say it. Business is like a relationship…don’t set expectations that you can’t live up to. If you meet a girl you like, and you spend $1000.00 every time you go out, she will expect it for the duration of the relationship. In other words, don’t act like a baller if you’re not! If you want to work 10-7 and take a lunch at 1, let your people know and stick to it. Customers will appreciate you predictability, rather than unmet promises.

Another common complaint are unreasonably long, unexpected waits. A customer calls, the barber tells them they’re next, they arrive in 20 minutes and end up waiting 2 hours. Maybe they slid somebody in real quick, because they didn’t want to miss any money. Maybe the person really wasn’t next any you didn’t expect them to get their that fast. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter because you’re customer is now my client, and I make appointments, and they love jumping in the chair and not sitting around the shop.

Dependability is one of the reasons I work by appointment. I speak on this topic in my article “Why appointments work!”, and you can click on the highlighted area to read more about it.

There are a lot of Barbers out there, and you want the best. You want the best haircut, but you also want someone you can count on. You want a barber that’s responsible, consistent and loves their craft. In other words, part of being the Best barber is being a Dependable Barber.

Recently while attending the Xotics Barber’s Roundtable dinner , I had an interesting conversation with a talented young Barber from South Carolina, Rufus Watson. Mr. Watson told me that in the early stages of his career he concentrated on fades and sharp lines. As a veteran in this industry, I told him that I thought that was an excellent approach, and upon checking out his work on Facebook, the approach worked!

The fade is a staple haircut in this business. Think about it, has it ever been out of style? It’s timeless. It’s one of the few things in life that can be considered cool and professional, a hair cut that can be seen in the boardroom and a rap video as well.

When I started cutting hair in my basement back in 19..,,(well don’t worry about that), I put extra effort in perfecting a clean fade. I used to wear a slope cut, with a long curve diagonal part, and a fade. When I got to college people asked who my barber was, and once they learned that I was the one with the fade skills, most became customers.

A fade is a versatile haircut, which cuts across all demographics. There are Bald Fades, Light Fades, High Fades, Low Fades, Temple Fades, Mohawk Fades, South of France Fades, Burst Fades, Spear Fades, etc…(I feel like Bubba Gump!)

So if your Barber isn’t providing with that clean fade , you might want to make a switch. If you’re in the Atlanta metro area, take a drive over to Exodus Barber Shop in Stone Mountain, and get faded!

At Exodus we take pride in being the Best Barbershop in Atlanta, DeKalb county and the entire metropolitan area because our Barbers provide clients with top quality Hair Cuts. . We are a traditional Barber Shop in the sense that we have real barbers, in a real community, and engage in real conversation. Exodus is a Barber Shop of adults and keeps an atmosphere of respect. We believe our people should feel comfortable sending their children to the shop with their grandmother, and not worry about disrespectful, and obscene behavior. That being said, it all comes back to the hair cuts. We’re not a shop where everyone’s waiting around for just one or two barbers…every one is good.